Gursimran Hans

In April 1972, history was made at the Boleyn Ground as West Ham United played Tottenham Hotspur. West Ham manager Ron Greenwood, who later gave an international debut to England’s first black player, picked three black players for the first time in English football. They were Bermudan forward Clyde Best, Nigerian born US striker Ade Coker, who scored that day, and Canning Town-born full-back John Charles. The Acid Test is Best’s autobiography. The title coming from an anonymous letter sent to h

Life According to Freddie Flintoff sees Flintoff discuss quite a few aspects of his life. He talks about growing up in Preston playing cricket and chess, his cricket career, his time as a boxer, his media work, his showbiz work, family life and life in general. It is quite honestly, a gripping and captivating read. Flintoff is brutally honest about himself and at times, downright hilarious. Particularly amusing is a prank involving an alarm clock he plays on David Lloyd whilst on tour in Pakis

Hibernian Football Club was founded in 1875 in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh by a group from the city’s Irish community. Tom Wright delves into the first 142 years of the club’s history in his book: The Life and Times of a Famous Football Club. It is a gripping read with Wright discussing the early challenges facing the club in the early years of the organised game in Scotland, through two World Wars, the era of the Famous Five, memorable European nights against Barcelona and Napoli, the attem

Plastic Waste back under the spotlight as London Marathon approaches 26 April marks the return of the London Marathon, which has gained a reputation over the years for the amount of plastic waste generated. In 2018, an estimated 760,000 plastic bottles were thrown away by competitors and spectators. As a result, last year from the 23 mile mark, runners were given seaweed pouches which can biodegrade in four-six weeks. Plastic bottles can take up to 450 years to decompose and release harmful c

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I decided before I went out to HK, I would try to see a fair amount of football. I choose to provisionally pick Eastern as my Hong Kong club. This was because studying at HKBU, the closest top-flight ground to my room was Mong Kok Stadium. The two teams who played at the ground were Eastern and Kitchee. I plumped for Eastern as they were formerly managed by Bobby Moore and during the 1980s also possessed Alan Ball in their squad. Thus on my first Saturday in the former British colony, I decided

In 1987, the Cricket World Cup left for England for the first time. This edition was held on the subcontinent with defending champions India co-hosting with Pakistan. At this point in one day cricket’s development, 50 overs had become the standard for international cricket, so the World Cup which had traditionally been 60 overs each innings was no down to his present 50 over format. With South Africa still banned from international cricket, the seven Test-playing nations at the time where join

In 1987, the Cricket World Cup left for England for the first time. This edition was held on the subcontinent with defending champions India co-hosting with Pakistan. At this point in one day cricket’s development, 50 overs had become the standard for international cricket, so the World Cup which had traditionally been 60 overs each innings was no down to his present 50 over format. With South Africa still banned from international cricket, the seven Test-playing nations at the time where join

The third instalment of the Cricket World Cup saw the West Indies attempt to win a third consecutive world championship at Lord’s. England would host the tournament once more — but with an increased number of venues. The six grounds that had hosted matches in 1975 and 1979 all hosted three matches each but County Grounds in Derby, Bristol, Taunton, Chelmsford, and Southampton, as well as St. Helen’s, Grace Road, Nevill Road and New Road, would all host one game each. England, of course, qualif

Controversy surrounds Wayne Rooney’s recall for a farewell appearance for England against the United States. However, international farewells and testimonials are not completely unheard of. Whilst Paolo Maldini turned down the opportunity to play for Italy in a friendly against Northern Ireland as he approached retirement and David Beckham famously said he would never retire from England after suggestions England’s November 2010 friendly against France would be his farewell, they have become in

Sadio Mane scores twice at Anfield as West Ham slump to a deserved defeat in Manuel Pellegrini’s first competitive match. Liverpool started the game with impetus, enjoying the lion share’s of possession. A last-ditch nudge from Michail Antonio denied Roberto Firmino a clear opportunity to open the lead, with the Reds buffeting the West Ham box with a plethora of crosses. Another last-ditch tackle from Anderson was required after a rapid level break from a corner. It was one of the crosses th

Over the years, several cricketers have captured the imagination of the public. In this article, I list my personal cricket World XI based on players who played the game when I was most in tune with the going-ons of the game. They are several top players who just missed the cut and perhaps on another day I would choose differently. Ali Cook faces the first ball of the game. England’s all time leading Test run scorer, Cook burst on the scene in 2006 recording a half-century and a century in hi

Cricket is one of the world’s oldest sports and one steeped in tradition and heritage. Hundreds of grounds have hosted international and domestic cricket at the top level of the game but a select few stand out among the rest as being the most iconic. From vibrant colour to historical moments, I’ve picked out 16 of the most iconic in the world. Located on one of the most important ports in the West Indies, St. John’s is noted for its’ hard and dry pitch which favours batsmen. Several of the W

The second installment of the World Cup may have seemed liked Déjà vu. The format of the tournament was unchanged from the previous installment in 1975 and it was once again hosted by England using the same six grounds as before. England as hosts automatically qualified alongside fellow Test nations Australia, West Indies, India, Pakistan and New Zealand. South Africa were still under a sporting boycott at the time. Prior to the tournament which began on the 9th June, England also hosted the

English sports fans don’t have to wait that long for one of the nation’s favourite games to come home. In May 2019, England will host the Cricket World Cup. In this new series, I’m going through the history of every single Cricket World Cup to date. Despite the sport having a long history dating back centuries, its premier world championship is just 43 years old. This comes from the fact One-Day Internationals are still a young invention with the first 130-odd years of international cricket be

AC Milan have had their one-year ban from European competition overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Uefa had banned the Italian side last month for failing to meet licensing and financial fair play regulations. The seven-times European champions had failed to break even after spending £200 million on players last summer following a £648 million takeover by a consortium led by Li Yonghong. Uefa’s FFP regulations were brought in to avoid such scenarios and prevent clubs racking up hu

Joe Root and England played Ireland in a one-day series in May last year. The teams will meet in a four-day Test next July DAN MULLAN/GETTY IMAGES England will play Ireland in a four-day Test match next July in what will be the first meeting between the two sides in the format. The match, which will take place at Lord’s from July 24 to July 27, will be England’s final Test before the Ashes begin with Australia visiting Edgbaston on August 1. The Test against Ireland will also take place ten d

Pre-season offers Premier League clubs the chance to go on lucrative tours around the world in a bid to expand their fanbase and, perhaps more importantly to them, their brand. Plenty of air miles will be racked up in the process — Chelsea will travel to Australia to take on Perth Glory, Manchester United take on the San Jose Earthquakes in Santa Clara, California, while Southampton have already completed a trip to China. But not every club are looking for destinations far and wide — Leicester

Oxlade-Chamberlain picked up the injury during the Champions League semi-final first leg against Roma Phil Noble/Reuters Liverpool’s optimism at agreeing a world record £66 million fee for the Roma goalkeeper Alisson Becker was tempered today by the news that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could miss the entire season during his recovery from a knee injury. Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, said it will be a “bonus” if the midfielder appears competitively in 2018-19, but Liverpool today insisted O

25-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder Felipe Anderson has finally completed his much-anticipated move to West Ham. He joins from Lazio for a fee of £36 million, which could rise to £41.5 million. Anderson spent time at several different clubs as a youngster including Coritiba but found himself at Santos at the age of 14. Anderson would break into the first team in 2010, around the same time as Neymar and Ganso. Injuries met his made his debut in October 2010, appearing as a late substitu